Potassium Content of Foods

What Is Potassium?

Potassium is a mineral found in many different foods, including whole grains, fruits, vegetables, milk, dried beans, and peas. Potassium helps maintain normal blood pressure and also helps muscles, including the heart, to contract properly.

Why Follow a Low-potassium Diet?

Your doctor may recommend following a low-potassium diet if you have kidney problems or are taking certain medications. If you have kidney problems, excess potassium can build up to dangerous levels in your blood. This can lead to muscle weakness or
irregular heartbeats.

Why Follow a High-potassium Diet?

When combined with a low-sodium diet, a diet high in potassium can help lower
high blood pressure. This can help lower the risk of
stroke
and other complications of high blood pressure. However, anyone with kidney problems should not follow a high-potassium diet without first checking with their doctor.

High-potassium Foods

FruitsVegetablesOther Foods

The following foods contain more than 200 milligrams of potassium per serving and are therefore considered to be high in potassium.

Apricots

Avocado

Banana

Cantaloupe

Dates

Dried fruits

Figs

Grapefruit juice

Honeydew melon

Kiwi

Mango

Nectarine

Orange

Orange juice

Papaya

Pomegranate

Pomegranate juice

Prunes

Prune juice

Raisins

Acorn squash

Artichoke

Bamboo shoots

Baked beans

Butternut squash

Beets

Black beans

Brussels sprouts

Chinese cabbage

Carrots

Dried beans and peas

Greens, except kale

Hubbard squash

Kohlrabi

Lentils

Legumes

Mushrooms, canned

Parsnips

Potatoes, white and sweet

Pumpkin

Refried beans

Rutabagas

Spinach, cooked

Tomatoes, tomato products

Vegetable juices

Bran/Bran Products

Chocolate

Granola

Milk, all types

Molasses

Nutritional supplements

Nuts and seeds

Peanut butter

Salt substitutes

Salt free broth

Yogurt

Low-potassium Foods

FruitsVegetablesOther Foods

The following foods are considered to be low in potassium. Realize, however, that eating more than one of serving of any of these foods can make it a high-potassium food.